Another socialist despot is forcing the people to remove him. This time in Venezuela

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 21:14

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Socialism fails sooner or later. The key factor is the degree an economy is infected with socialism. A moderate amount of socialism (that is anti-price government intervention) means a moderate collapse eventually. Total socialism means total collapse of the economy eventually.

There are 2 very important variables in this simple equation however (there are of course more than 2, but these are the biggies) and that is how much fear a regime can induce in the population, and how far a regime is willing to go to stay in power. If there is a lot of fear and a commitment by a regime to use violence against its people a despot can hold onto power for a long time even while the economics of socialism eat the insides of a society like a cancer. Just look at North Korea and Cuba.

But the fear factor may not be enough to keep Maduro in power in Caracas. Likewise he likely has reservations about unleashing widespread violence because he feels he is unlikely to win in such a scrap in the end. No despot wants to end his days hanged on a lamppost in the city square.

Regardless, all of this ugliness adds up to pain for the Venezuelan people.

Get Maduro out. (By constitutional means, though Maduro doesn’t seem to be playing by the rules.) Let the economy come back to reality. Let Venezuela, once a relatively prosperous country move forward on a democratic basis. Put Chavismo out of its misery and embrace free markets. Watch for despots of other kinds in the future. Embrace a new day.

Buena suete Venezuela!

(From Yahoo News)

Venezuela’s political rivals faced a test of strength Wednesday, with the opposition vowing mass street protests as President Nicolas Maduro resists efforts to drive him from power.

The socialist president and center-right-dominated opposition accuse each other of mounting a “coup” in a volatile country rich in oil but short of food.

The crisis prompted Pope Francis to intervene on Monday, granting a private audience to Maduro, who said the sides had agreed to launch a “national dialogue” to settle the crisis.

Leaders in the broad opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), denied they had reached any agreement with the government on the terms of any talks.

They are furious at the authorities’ decision last week to halt their bid for a referendum on removing Maduro from power.